New International VersionWomen should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.

New Living TranslationWomen should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says.

English Standard Versionthe women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.

New American Standard Bible The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.

King James BibleLet your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

Holman Christian Standard Biblethe women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says.

International Standard Versionthe women must keep silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak out, but must place themselves in submission, as the oral law also says.

NET Biblethe women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says.

Aramaic Bible in Plain EnglishLet your women be silent in the assemblies, for they are not allowed to speak, but to be in subjection, just as The Written Law also says.

GOD'S WORD® Translationthe women must keep silent. They don't have the right to speak. They must take their place as Moses' Teachings say.

Jubilee Bible 2000Let your women keep silence in the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}, for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be in subjection, as also saith the law.

King James 2000 BibleLet your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be submissive, as also says the law.

American King James VersionLet your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted to them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also said the law.

American Standard Versionlet the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law.

Douay-Rheims BibleLet women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith.

Darby Bible TranslationLet [your] women be silent in the assemblies, for it is not permitted to them to speak; but to be in subjection, as the law also says.

English Revised VersionLet the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law.

Webster's Bible TranslationLet your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted to them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

Weymouth New TestamentLet married women be silent in the Churches, for they are not permitted to speak. They must be content with a subordinate place, as the Law also says;

World English Biblelet your wives keep silent in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted for them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as the law also says.

Young's Literal Translation Your women in the assemblies let them be silent, for it hath not been permitted to them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith;

14:34-40 When the apostle exhorts Christian women to seek information on religious subjects from their husbands at home, it shows that believing families ought to assemble for promoting spiritual knowledge. The Spirit of Christ can never contradict itself; and if their revelations are against those of the apostle, they do not come from the same Spirit. The way to keep peace, truth, and order in the church, is to seek that which is good for it, to bear with that which is not hurtful to its welfare, and to keep up good behaviour, order, and decency.

Let your women keep silence in the churches,.... This is a restriction of, and an exception to one of the above rules, that all might prophesy; in which he would be understood of men only, and not of women; and is directed against a practice which seems to have prevailed in this church at Corinth, allowing women to preach and teach in it; and this being a disorderly practice, and what was not used in other churches, the apostle forbids and condemns, and not without reason:

for it is not permitted unto them to speak; that is, in public assemblies, in the church of God, they might not speak with tongues, nor prophesy, or preach, or teach the word. All speaking is not prohibited; they might speak their experiences to the church, or give an account of the work of God upon their souls; they might speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; or speak as an evidence in any case at a church meeting; but not in such sort, as carried in it direction, instruction, government, and authority. It was not allowed by God that they should speak in any authoritative manner in the church; nor was it suffered in the churches of Christ; nor was it admitted of in the Jewish synagogue; there, we are told (b), the men came to teach, and the women "to hear": and one of their canons runs thus (c);

"a woman may not read (that is, in the law), "in the congregation", or church, because of the honour of the congregation;''

for they thought it a dishonourable thing to a public assembly for a woman to read, though they even allowed a child to do it that was capable of it.

But they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. In Genesis 3:16, "thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee". By this the apostle would signify, that the reason why women are not to speak in the church, or to preach and teach publicly, or be concerned in the ministerial function, is, because this is an act of power, and authority; of rule and government, and so contrary to that subjection which God in his law requires of women unto men. The extraordinary instances of Deborah, Huldah, and Anna, must not be drawn into a rule or example in such cases.

34. (1Ti 2:11, 12). For women to speak in public would be an act of independence, as if they were not subject to their husbands (compare 1Co 11:3; Eph 5:22; Tit 2:5; 1Pe 3:1). For "under obedience," translate, "in subjection" or "submission," as the Greek is translated (Eph 5:21, 22, 24).

Orderly Worship…33for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 34The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.35If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.…

Cross References

Genesis 3:16To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

1 Corinthians 11:5But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is the same as having her head shaved.

1 Corinthians 11:13Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

1 Corinthians 14:21In the Law it is written: "With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."

1 Corinthians 14:35If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

Ephesians 5:22Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.